


This not an Alpha Romance Novel

by cynatnite



Category: Marvel (Comics), Marvel Cinematic Universe
Genre: Alpha Phil Coulson, Alpha/Beta/Omega Dynamics, Alpha/Omega, Angst with a Happy Ending, Bed-Stuey apartment locale, Don't believe anyone who says they hate romance novels, Drunk Phil Coulson, Good friends with evil intentions for positive mission outcome, Kid Fic, M/M, Marriage of Convenience, Mating Cycles/In Heat, Mention of Past Abuse, OFC - Freeform, OMC - Freeform, Omega Clint Barton, Phil Coulson is not a virgin, Phil and Clint nearly breaks SHIELD, Some Humor, The Author Regrets Nothing, Virgin Clint Barton, brief mention of torture
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-02-24
Updated: 2019-02-24
Packaged: 2019-11-04 21:58:20
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 17,849
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/17906438
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/cynatnite/pseuds/cynatnite
Summary: A virgin, a marriage of convenience and a kid. Add that to a spy organization with spy friends.





	This not an Alpha Romance Novel

**Author's Note:**

> All mistakes are my own. 
> 
> This is what happens with no sleep and trash talking romance novels.

Donatella Services.

The name was gold leaf etched onto a thick expensive card stock. Except for a phone number at the bottom right, that’s all there was.

Phil Coulson caressed the business card with his thumb as he considered making the call. Nick had given it to him nearly a year ago with the expressed order/request.

“Find you a sweet Omega, Cheese, before you blow up half of Istanbul.”

It had been after a particularly bad op that had cost the lives of three agents on Phil’s watch. He’d used the pool for unbonded Omegas from time to time to see them through their heat and that was fine. They were SHIELD agents and it was his duty as far as he was concerned.

Since that day, Phil took the card from the top drawer of is desk and gazed at it from time to time. This was an exclusive service which catered to the well-to-to and offered unbonded Omegas for specific tastes.

Nick assured him they were legit and not pimping out Omegas at the drop of a hat. Phil had listened half-heartedly shaking his head. He’d never paid for it and never thought he would. Despite the Omegas he’d seen through their heat, not one of them fit what he desired.

“What could it hurt?” Phil muttered.

He dialed the number using his cellphone and waited. He gave his number and email address. A few minutes later, the notification of a new email appeared and Phil opened it up. After clicking the link, he was directed to an application. There was nothing else to click on in order to learn about the business.

Phil scrolled through the application and stopped at the last page. It was very detailed in their requirements and background checks. Reading through it, Phil surmised quickly that Donatella Services fiercely protected both their clients and their contractors. Privacy was utmost and that was something Phil appreciated.

The application was straightforward. Phil completed most of it easily enough and paused at the second to last page. It was in him to lie. He was 35-years-old and he wanted a twenty-something Omega that he could share his desires with. They were quite different from many Alphas he knew who preferred a more aggressive approach.

Uneasy, Phil typed out the answers and hoped for the best. He finished the application with his black AmEx card and agreed to all terms and conditions. When he clicked submit, Phil had been holding his breath.

 

~*~

 

Phil hated being the paranoid asshole that he was well known to be. Less than a week after submitting the application, he’d been notified by phone it would be accepted upon a clean physical and bloodwork. They had a match for him, but it would be two weeks before the Omega’s heat would start.

Barring an apocalypse of epic proportions, he got the time off. The woman had explained the Omega’s heat would last three days, but Phil requested four days off from SHIELD just in case.

Then came the moment he told Nick he wanted the penthouse. When asked why, Phil just held up the business card. Seeing the big grin on his friend’s face, Phil had said, “Worst friend ever.”

Arriving three hours ahead of time, Phil surveyed the fashionable penthouse. The foyer opened to a large living room with floor-to-ceiling windows. The city lights were beautiful with the burnt orange in the skyline.

He took the grocery sacks to the kitchen and set them on the counter. Phil pulled the list he had printed off from his pocket. The Omega had few requests. Toasted sandwiches, unsalted chips, water, and some fruit. The last one was curious. Chocolate shake. Phil hoped they weren’t sending him some sixteen-year-old. He wanted young, but not that young.  

Phil spent the next hour readying the food. He kept the bread on the counter with the toaster nearby. He sliced up the fruit and fixed a platter with cold cuts and cheeses. Another platter had fruit and Phil added three varieties of crackers. Those and the water went into the fridge.

Considerable time was spent making a large pitcher of fruit smoothie and a smaller one filled to the brim with a chocolate shake recipe he’d found online. After a taste, Phil was satisfied. He set both pitchers in the nearly empty freezer and turned down the temperature. He had no idea when the Omega would want them.

The doorbell rang and Phil froze. He glanced down at his watch. It was too early, then he remembered. He’d ordered a dinner. Phil had no idea if the Omega would be interested in eating beforehand, but preparation was his personal motto.

Phil retrieved the food from the deliveryman and offered a fat tip. He still had an hour. Phil put the baked chicken, steamed broccoli and baked sweet potatoes in individual pans. He set them in the oven with a low temperature to keep them warm.

Remembering his mother’s rule about making guests comfortable, Phil set the table. He glanced at the silver candlesticks and shook his head. He wasn’t about to go full on typical Alpha romance novel. This was going to be a comfortable and relaxing dinner or as much as he could make it for the Omega.

Once that was done, Phil headed back to the kitchen for the second bag. He went upstairs to the bedroom. It was luxurious, but comfortable with thick bedding and fluffy pillows. Phil put the lube and condoms on the nightstand. The service had assured a clean physical and birth control had been seen to for the Omega. He walked into the bathroom and stopped. He’d forgotten how big it was.

The shower was extremely large with several spouts and a state-of-the-art system with a variety of settings. He hoped they would try it out at some point. Phil turned his attention back to the large bath and set the bottle of body wash he’d found in Dubai. It was a spicy frankincense with hints of cinnamon. He’d ordered a case the next day after luxuriating with it during a hot bath. Phil finished the final touches with setting out a couple of thick towels and a robe.

There wasn’t anything left to do other than check on dinner. Phil spent the remainder of the time sipping on a bourbon and gazing out the window envisioning how he hoped the next few days would go.

His dreams were broken by the doorbell. It was time.

Phil was never one to hesitate and that was true now. He set his half-empty glass on the coffee table, crossed the room to the door and opened it.

Stunned at the site before him, Phil was nearly speechless. Before him was a young man, dark blonde hair with expressive eyes and lips made for kissing. He filled out the white button down and the dark denim jeans. He was shifting back and forth on his feet gripping the strap of a backpack on his shoulder.

“Clint?”

“Yes, Phil, right?”

They shook hands and Phil detected his nervousness almost immediately. The calluses on his hand were different, but Phil ignored the question in his mind.

“Please, come in.”

Phil stepped aside and watched the younger man take in their surroundings. His gaze went to the large windows. After closing the door, Phil said, “Would you like a drink? I have wine and any kind of liquor you’d prefer.”

“No, thank you.” Clint slowly turned and set the backpack on the floor near the coffee table. “I’m not much of a drinker.”

“That’s fine.” Phil could see Clint felt just as awkward as he did. “There’s dinner warming in the oven.”

“I’m not hungry,” Clint blurted. “I’d just rather get this done.”

“You’re ready? The service said…”

“Sorry.” Clint rubbed the back of his neck. “Yeah, it’ll be a few hours yet. I guess eating’s not a bad idea. I lied about being hungry.”

“It’s fine.” Phil could understand. He’d done a few honeypot missions and talked more than one SHIELD agent through them. “Just give me a minute.”

After a shaky nod from Clint, Phil headed to the kitchen and fixed their plates. He came back out as Clint was taking a seat at the dining room table.

“Would you like something to drink?”

“You wouldn’t happen to have milk in there, would you?”

Phil smiled a little hoping to put Clint at ease. “Of course.”

He set the plates down and hurried back with two glasses of milk. Phil wasn’t about to let alcohol dictate the night anyways.

They ate for a few minutes without speaking, the self-consciousness peaking between them.

“This is good,” Clint said before taking another bite. “It’s good.”

“I wish I could take credit. I’m a terrible cook and can barely manage in the kitchen. All of this,” he said motioning at the food on their plates, “is takeout.”

“I really like sweet potatoes.”

“Clint, may I ask…how old are you?”

Clint blanched. “What?”

“You seem much younger than what your profile indicated.”

“It’s why I still get carded,” Clint said with a wry grin. “I’ll be twenty-five in a few months. You’re not robbing anyone’s cradle.”

“It’s not just your looks. I expected…”

“Less nervousness,” Clint nodded. He set his fork down and wiped his mouth which Phil was desperate to taste. “There’s something I left out when I filled out the application. You might change your mind about seeing me through my heat.”

Phil couldn’t imagine what it would be. The desire had been pooling in his gut since first laying eyes on Clint and the scent was heady. He’d always taken pride in his Alpha control, but Clint was testing that as it was. Not that Phil would follow through with it. He had other plans which did not include jumping Clint and rutting like an animal.

“What is it?”

 The nervousness seemed to double immediately on Clint’s face. Phil watched him fiddle with the fork on the table.

“Clint, I can promise nothing will change my mind unless you’re having second thoughts. If you are, I’m fine with it. I would never…”

“I know,” Clint interrupted. “I mean…I’m pretty sure and it’s not that. I’ve never…” He had to take another deep breath. “You’ll be the first Alpha for me. In fact, I’ve never been with anyone during a heat or at all for that matter.”

That was definitely the last thing Phil expected to hear. During puberty, Omegas had much easier heats before maturing and after that, they were more intense which aided the drive in finding a mate.

“You’ve been using suppressants,” Phil surmised.

“Not like you think. A friend introduced me to some shaman in the Dakotas a few years back. They have an herb which helps suppress the heats, but they don’t go completely away. I know how much the medication can fuck up a system and I wanted no part of that.”

SHIELD scientists were already compounding the herb with the less intense pharmaceuticals, although safer, to aid Omegas. Phil had even recommended one of his agents who’d had more severe heats which left her debilitated for up to four days afterwards. She’d never be fit for the field, but she was one of the best trainers in the organization.

“You’ve never been with anyone during a heat?”

“Not even in between. It’s complicated.”

“You can still change your mind and I’ll make sure you’re paid in full, Clint.”

“Phil, trust me to know my own mind about this. I can’t tell you my reasons, but I have every intention of staying with you through my heat.”

A multitude of questions went through Phil’s mind as they ate. He never expected in this day and age to meet an Omega who went through their heats alone. From high school and onward, they’d been taught about their biology, both the good and bad, and how important it was to take care of their needs. They were long past the days of keeping heats in the closet and ignorance prevailed. Today’s society was open-minded and as a result, Omega rights were on equal ground with Alphas and Betas.

Somehow, Clint had fallen through the cracks of the system and per Donatella Services agreement, he was not allowed to press for answers.

“You’ve got a really nice place,” Clint commented.

“Oh,” Phil was a little surprised to hear. “It’s not mine. More like a friend’s.”

“Rich one,” Clint said with a low chuckle.

“Honestly, I don’t know. His position allows for perks like this.” Phil wasn’t going to mention that the penthouse was usually slated for ops, schmoozing politicians for government funding and other projects.

“Can you tell me what you do?”

“The government, more or less.”

Then Clint did smile and Phil was entranced by it. He could get lost in those expressive eyes forever.

“I’m guessing filing clerk for a tired bureaucrat who never know what he wants,” Clint joked.

“You’d be surprised at how close you are,” Phil grinned. He saw that Clint had cleaned his plate. “There’s plenty more food in the kitchen.”

“No, thanks. I’m full.” Clint got to his feet and picked up the plate and Phil rose as well.

“Don’t worry about that.”

“It’s okay,” Clint assured him. He picked up Phil’s as well. “I have this thing about dirty dishes. Can’t sleep until I know they’re done and the food’s put away.”

Phil grabbed the remaining dishes and headed to the kitchen. They talked more about favorite foods and bad restaurants. The conversation had Phil grinning throughout. He even showed Clint the platters in the fridge. When he opened the freezer, Clint’s eyes widened at the pitchers. He took a taste with his pinky and hummed with a wide smile.

After filling the dishwasher, Phil watched the sweat begin to form on Clint’s forehead. He took note of the discomfort as well.

“How are you doing?” Phil quietly asked.

“It’s starting,” Clint admitted. “Guess we should find a bed.”

“We have some time yet. But I’ve got an idea that will help you relax more.”

Holding out his hand, Phil looked into Clint’s eyes hoping he could read the trust. Clint nodded and took it.

When they got to the bathroom, Clint’s eyes grew big.

“Holy shit. This fucking bathroom is bigger than my apartment.”

“I think it’s bigger than most in Manhattan,” Phil commented. He got down on his knees and started the bathwater. The water was a little warmer than he liked and Phil adjusted the spigot.

“You want me to take a bath?”

“You don’t have to,” Phil assured him. “It will help with the muscle twinges you’re already feeling and I think you’ll unwind more. I wouldn’t have offered otherwise.”

Out of the corner of his eye, Phil surmised that Clint wasn’t averse to the idea. He added some of the body wash to the water and when it was high enough, he turned the jets on to a low setting. It was enough for a light massage.

“That looks pretty damn good,” Clint told him.

Phil kept his eyes on the water as he heard the rustling of clothing. He leaned back at the sight of a naked leg easing into the water. There was no missing the semi-hard cock as Clint lowered his body into the water.

“Fuck,” Clint murmured. He leaned back into the sudsy warmth and closed his eyes. “Just so you know, cursing is my second language.”

“I got that.” Phil was mesmerized by the thick muscles and smooth chest as soapy water trailed along his pecks. “Cursing like a sailor on shore leave comes naturally to my boss. I’ve been known to not hold back when filing gets out of control.”

Clint chuckled, then winced from the spasm in his back.

Phil grabbed the thick sponge and applied more body wash. He scooted closer. “Lean forward.”

When the younger man did, Phil ran the soapy sponge across the smooth muscled back enjoying it far more than he knew he should. He brought it down to Clint’s lower back and applied some pressure as he washed.

“That’s feels good,” Clint mumbled. “I might die and go to heaven about now.”

After a few minutes, Clint laid back. “Would you mind turning off the jets?”

“Of course.” Phil shut them off. He looked at the sponge. “Will you let me wash you?”

“Yeah, sure.”

Clint closed his eyes and Phil was allowed to gaze at the firm body to his heart’s content as he ran the lathered sponge across his chest, along his neck and then finally down the firm abdomen. Phil tried not to touch Clint’s cock, but did bump it a few times in the process. Phil’s cock was aching hard and he briefly grabbed onto to it for a semblance of control.

“Sorry.”

“S’good, Phil.”

Phil’s breath caught when Clint’s eyes opened and caught his. “Think I’m ready to get out now.”

He helped Clint out and wrapped him in one of the towels. Phil headed to the bedroom and folded down the covers on the bed before removing his shirt and pants. He kept the boxers on and turned when Clint came into the room with a towel wrapped around his waist, the hard cock tenting it.

“Let’s get you into bed,” Phil suggested.

Clint sat and unwrapped the towel as he slid under the sheet. Phil walked around to the other side and got into the bed careful to not get too close. He was determined to take this at Clint’s pace. He watched as Clint rolled on his side towards him.

“Can I see it?”

Phil gazed at him until he realized what was being asked. He pulled off the boxers as Clint scooted closer. Phil was stock still as Clint sat up and the sheet fell exposing his erection. The young Omega leaned forward with a curious look on his face.

Holding his breath, he watched a hand reaching for his cock. Then Clint’s eyes locked with his as if in question and Phil nodded. He hissed the moment the fingers wrapped themselves around him. There was a hesitation and Phil widened in legs in acquiescence.

The knot was already making itself known and when Clint’s fingers skirted along his length in curiosity, Phil couldn’t hold back his moan. It felt so damn good and his lifted his hips in response. Then a mouth took hold of him.

“God, Clint!” Phil couldn’t believe it. Clint was licking him, tasting him and giving him the blow job of a century. “How did…fuck!”

When he heard the chuckle, Phil’s eyes flew open at Clint who had a bit of a scoundrel look in his darkened eyes. “I’ve been watching porn for the last two weeks. Got a few ideas.”

Phil barked a laugh. “You’re a fast learner.”

The smile was genuine and Phil only wanted him more.

“Will you kiss me, Clint?”

“Okay,” he whispered.

Clint crawling over him would be something Phil would never forget. It was a graceful and panther-like, the intensity of Clint’s eyes never leaving his. Their mouths met and Phil inhaled Clint’s scent as their heated kiss continued. He could feel it winding down deep inside of him.

Phil’s eyes opened when the kiss ended.

“Phil,” Clint breathed. “What’s happening?”

“It’s our scents comingling, preparing each other for mating. It’s going to be a bit more intense for you since this is your first time. Do you understand?”

“I think so,” Clint said, his voice low. “I don’t want to stop.”

“No.” Phil cupped Clint’s cheek and then brought him down for another mind-blowing kiss.

When Clint shifted to get closer, he flinched. The pain was etched on his face and Phil sat up.

“Lay on your side, Clint. This will be the easiest for you.”

Clint did as instructed. “This isn’t your first rodeo, is it?”

“No,” Phil answered with a small smile. He put his hands on Clint’s back and began kneading the pressure points. “I’ve helped a few Omegas in the past.”

“Fuck, that feels good,” Clint breathed. “So like me, huh?”

“Nothing like you at all,” Phil told him. No one was like Clint. “I wanted an Omega who would let me take care of him in all the ways few ever allow or even want.”

Clint chuckled a little as Phil continued. “You mean like those fucking pant-ripping Alpha romance books with the chasing and mounting.”

“I kinda hate those,” Phil told him. “They set the bar too high.”

“Mmm, yeah,” Clint murmured. “Most unrealistic expectations ever.”

Phil ran his hands over Clint’s back when the muscles finally relaxed. “How are you feeling now.”

“Good, but I’m fucking hot.”

The cold bottle of water sat on the end table and Phil helped Clint drink down a few gulps.

“We need to get you ready, Clint. It’s only going to get worse from here on out.”

“’Kay. I’m ready.”

His eyes were still closed and Phil needed him to feel good before proceeding. He was Clint’s first and this was going to be the best possible experience he could make for the young Omega.

“I’m going to tell you everything I’m doing. Anytime it gets uncomfortable or you even want to stop, say the word and this goes no further.” Phil reached for the lube.

“I won’t ‘cause it’ll only get worse if we do stop.”

“Just let me know and we’ll work through it, Clint. I won’t get any pleasure if I’m hurting you.”

Phil coated his fingers with lube and moved in close to Clint. He kissed him on the shoulder and then pressed his finger around Clint’s hole. The groan had him smiling a little.

“How does that feel?”

“Shit, so good,” Clint said with small moan. He shifted his hips backward in response.

“You’re so sensitive.” Phil took his time inserting a finger and Clint tried to open his legs in response. “Do you want to move to your stomach?”

“Yeah,” Clint whispered. He rolled to his front and widened his legs for more access.

“You’re doing so good, Clint.” Phil eased closer and kissed the back of Clint’s neck before pushing a second finger inside.

“I fucking love what you’re doing, Phil.”

“The key is allowing yourself to enjoy the sensations and opening yourself up. A good Alpha will ensure your pleasure before his own.”

Clint’s hole seemed to welcome Phil’s ministrations of its own accord and he slipped in a third finger and pressed inward.

“Fuck!”

Phil’s breath caught as the pliant body rose off the bed and arched his back in response. He took in the tan muscled arms as they flexed. Laying so close, Phil leaned over and took Clint’s lips in a heated kiss, their tongues intertwining, licking and tasting one another.

“Tell me when you’re ready for me,” Phil whispered into Clint’s mouth. “I want to be inside of you.”

“Please, Phil.”

There was another hot languid kiss before Phil finally pulled away. He shifted behind Clint. The needy body before him was a work of art and Phil would never tire of gazing at it. He memorized every inch of it, took note of the scar along the left ribs and an old bullet wound from years ago. Using his hands, he made sure to never forget.

Phil coated his cock with lube and rested it at Clint’s entrance.

“I’ll go slow,” he promised.

Clint’s body was reacting on pure need as it moved back, wanting him inside. Phil wouldn’t disappoint.

He began pushing and when the head popped in, Clint froze and grimaced.

“Easy,” Phil whispered. He ran his hands long Clint’s body hoping to sooth any anxiety he might be feeling.

“It’s okay,” Clint said through clenched teeth. “Just give me a minute.”

“Long as you need,” Phil assured him. He could feel Clint relaxing under his hands.

“I’m good. Do it.”

“No hurry, Clint. We can wait.”

“Jesus, Phil,” Clint said with laughter in his voice. “At this rate, grass will grow faster than me losing my virginity. I trust you.”

“Anyone tell you you’re a smartass?” Phil asked with a grin.

“No, never.”

They both laughed for a brief moment. Phil kissed Clint’s back and slowly eased in further. The moans he heard from Clint weren’t pain, but more like what he wanted to hear.

“Shit, that’s so good,” Clint breathed.

Phil was almost all the way, just before his knot, when Clint pushed back against him.

“Fuck, Clint. God, you’re so tight and perfect.” Phil put his hand on Clint to steady him. His cock was surrounded by the tight heat of Clint’s body. “We can do this just as well without my knot.”

“But the knot makes it better, right?”

“It makes your heat easier and if done right, sex can be quite wonderful,” Phil informed him.

“I want it, Phil. Fuck, I want it all,” Clint begged. “Knot me.”

It came out more like a command to Phil’s ears and he nodded. “It’s easier if I just do it at once. Are you okay with that?”

“Hell, yeah. Do it!” Clint pushed back up to Phil’s knot.

They were both covered in sweat and Phil was more than ready, but hurting Clint almost stopped him. He’d done this before, but it was different with this trusting man beneath him. He gave Clint a final caress and surged forward, pushing his knot into the tight hole.

Phil growled loudly and he heard Clint’s sudden cry. He looked down and was fitted deep inside, perfectly, as if this was home.

“Clint,” Phil whispered. He was hoarse.

“Fuck me.”

Clint’s head hung down. He was breathing hard and fast.

“Talk to me.”

“It fucking hurt like a bitch, but shit, I think it’s starting to feel good.”

“Yeah, damn. Just give me a moment.”

“Sure thing, boss,” Clint said with a throaty laugh.

After Phil caught his breath and he was sure Clint was ready, he began to move with slow thrusts.  He was quickly losing himself being inside of Clint as he began to quicken his pace. The Omega was meeting him, thrust for thrust.

“Fuck,” Phil groaned. “Clint, you’re so fucking good, so fucking perfect.”

“Give it to me, all of it!” Clint begged.

Phil plunged deep inside of him and had enough wherewithal to latch onto Clint’s leaking cock. He smeared the fluid along its length and then tightened his hold ensuring the Omega would find his release, with his own sure to come in short order.

“Please, Phil, God, Please! I’m ready!”

Feeling Clint’s body threatening to come undone beneath him, Phil was intoxicated by the power of the animalistic need ready to take control. Once allowed, he rutted into the Omega never letting loose of the hot cock in his fist as it thrust back and forth. The tidal wave of orgasm began.

“Let it go, Clint,” Phil breathed heavily. “Fucking hell, let it go.”

Once Phil’s hand was coated with Clint’s come, he yelled as his climax hit and he poured everything of himself inside the Omega. It seemed to take forever for Phil to finish and when it finally passed, he laid himself on Clint’s back.

He got his breath back and was able to speak. “Clint?”

“Good. Fuck, I’m so fucking good.”

Phil nearly grinned. He wrapped an arm around Clint’s waist. “We’re going to lay on our sides. Just move with me.”

“’Kay.”

They repositioned with ease and laid silently for a few minutes basking in the aftermath of their frenzied joining. Phil’s cock was still comfortably snug inside of Clint. Not a word was spoken as they both fell into a deep sleep.

~*~

When Phil woke a few hours in the darkened room, he realized his cock had slipped from Clint’s hole after his knot subsided. He took his time disentangling himself from the beautiful Omega and eased out of bed. He headed to the bathroom and ran a soft washcloth under warm water. When he returned, he sat next to Clint and carefully washed him.

Clint stirred and opened his eyes. “Phil?”

“All part of the package,” Phil gently told him. “How are you feeling?”

“A little sore, but really good, too.”

“It’ll be a while before the next wave comes,” Phil explained. “Do you want anything?”

“Chocolate shake.”

Phil couldn’t help his smile. “Of course. After that, we need to get some sleep.”

He left Clint and went to the kitchen. After pouring two glasses, one with the fruit and another with the chocolate, he hurried upstairs to the bedroom. They sat close, with their knees touching, trading the drinks back and forth. Afterwards, Phil set the glasses aside and laid down on the soft pillow.

“Phil? Think you wouldn’t mind if I…?” Clint motioned towards him.

“I’d be disappointed otherwise,” Phil softly answered.

Phil opened his arm and Clint scooted close, lying his head on Phil’s chest.

Clint had a total of three heats in the time they spent together. Phil loved expressing other ways to find pleasure throughout. He showed Clint how to take care of himself during his heats to avoid irritation and chafing.

They laid in bed watching TV, eating from the platters. Clint teased him mercilessly about his love of horrible reality TV, but then couldn’t help but get addicted to “Omega Mine”, a dramatic hilarious show with Omegas trying to win the love of a sexy Alpha.

The final heat had Phil rolling onto Clint and giving him a deep kiss. The platters of food were kicked to the floor as Phil moved downward on the bed with his promise of a blow job for the record books.

~*~

 

It ended much sooner than Phil would have liked. There was so much more to learn about Clint and he was sure it would take nearly a lifetime. It was for the best, he told himself. His job didn’t allow for these kinds of attachments and he couldn’t tie such an enigmatic Omega down either no matter his feelings.

They were at the door saying their goodbyes and both were hesitant for it to end.

“I can’t tell you what this meant to me, Phil,” Clint said. “I’ll never forget it.”

“I can’t use the service to contact you. They won’t allow it, but you can get a message to me through them. If you need anything, please don’t hesitate, Clint. I have resources to help in any way.”

“I appreciate that.”

Phil was a little hurt by that. He didn’t want to let Clint go and he sure as hell wanted to make sure the Omega would be okay after this. He took the envelope from his back pocket.

“I know you’re getting a sizable fee, but I want you to have this.”

“I couldn’t,” Clint said raising his hand.

“This isn’t for services rendered.” Phil hoped he’d understand. “It’s in case…emergencies or whatever. I went to the ATM across the street while you were sleeping last night.” He held it out. “Please, Clint. I’d feel better if you took it.”

Clint nodded and accepted the envelope. “Thanks, Phil.”

“Thank you, Clint. You gave me more than you know. I want you to have a good life.”

When Clint reached for him, Phil didn’t hesitate to meet him halfway with a deep kiss. When it ended, Clint nodded and walked out the door.

Phil turned around and walked to the large windows with the sunlight pouring through. The penthouse was silent, colder than it was before. He was already missing Clint.

 

 

Eight Years Later

 

“Katy, hurry up,” Clint hollered. “The bus will be outside in ten minutes.”

“Coming, Daddy.”

Clint zipped up the lunch box as his daughter flounced into the kitchen. He stopped when he saw what she was wearing. The little girl wore a black top with a large pink flower and she had her stripped pants with the purple glitter. The converse sneakers finished the ensemble. This was going to be the price he’d pay for letting her pick out her own clothes this year.

“What are you going to do after school?”

“Go to Samora’s,” Katy answered. “She’s making spaghetti tonight.”

Clint kneeled down in front of his daughter. He checked to make sure all the tangles were out of her hair then looked her in the eye. “Aunt Nat will be here tomorrow and I should be home before you go to bed.”

“Can we go to the movies when you get home?”

“The day after,” Clint promised. “As long as you’re good.”

“Love you, Daddy.”

Clint’s heart clenched when Katy wrapped her arms around his neck. This was always how they did it when he had to leave. Their goodbyes were in the apartment by themselves.

“I love you, too, sweetheart.”

He helped her with the backpack and stuck the lunch box inside. When they got outside, the bus was pulling up. At Katy climbed up the steps, they blew kisses to each other and waved.

Once the bus was out of sight, Clint went back up the apartment. The elevator was nice even though a bit slow. He’d spent his SHIELD bonus on getting it up and running. Five floors were too much for anyone to climb. The tenants had filled his fridge with baked goods as a result.

Buying the building had been one of the smartest decisions he’d ever made after a slew of really bad ones. Clint had to admit the few good ones he’d managed had gotten him where he was.

The five years he’d spent as a paid assassin had benefited him with a decent bank account. Clint was trying to figure out a way out of that life when he met Phil. The sexy Alpha was right out of every fantasy he’d ever had. Those three days were the best of his life aside from Katy’s birth. Clint refused to dwell on it despite finding himself thinking about the older man and how he’d taken him apart with precision and tenderness. The money afterwards including what Phil had given him were almost enough.

He’d had no idea at the time what he was going to do once he was free of the assassination work, but sometimes the unexpected makes you rethink life all over again.

Once Clint discovered he was pregnant, he’d been floored and sat in his roach-infested apartment for nearly a week. Some ideas were starting to form, but he needed more money. There were going to be doctor bills and baby things which he didn’t have the first clue about. Abortion was okay for some and Clint could respect those decisions, but this was him. He was determined to have and keep this baby.

It just didn’t set in completely at how much he was risking when he continued to take jobs. He’d gotten a few sweet paydays, but after the last gig Clint had been shot at and nearly fallen off a roof. As soon as he got stateside, Clint moved out of the horrific apartment and suddenly found himself the owner of a five-story apartment building in Bed-Stuey of all places.

He called up Natasha to help him run off the Mafia Tracksuit club in short order, which was fun, by the way. She’d cuffed in the back of the head for stupid and he deserved it. Taking on the Russian Mob while pregnant wasn’t exactly the highlight of his mercenary career. She had a point.

So, the apartment. Clint lowered the rents, began working on repairs and Natasha suddenly got the idea that he needed help. He’d been in his sixth month and he couldn’t tell anyone no.

Clint took the apartment on the top floor and the one next to it as his own. He had a kid on the way and he had plans. After Katy’s birth, when his body finally started to feel normal, Clint began a home improvement project for the ages. He blew out three walls, demolished a kitchen and enlarged one of the bathrooms. The second bath, he opened up for a much larger bedroom. The open concept kitchen/dining/living gave Katy plenty of growing room. He spent a small fortune combining both apartments and as it came together, he was finding a sense of pride in himself he’d never felt before.

Somehow, Katy had taken it all in stride. Clint still had plenty of all-nighters with his little girl, rocking her, ear aches, diaper rash and all that went with it. He wouldn’t trade any of it for anything in all the world.

Clint finished up the last of the cleaning and headed to the bedroom. He grabbed his backpack and bow case before leaving.

 

~*~

 

Phil Coulson, carrying a hot cup of coffee, and coming in after only a few hours sleep, arrived at SHIELD HQ in New York, went to Maria Hill who was overseeing the current operation displayed on the large screens in front of them.

“Where are we?” Phil asked.

“The strike team is getting in position now.” She glanced at Phil. “You look like shit.”

“Thank you, Maria. You are looking quite spectacular yourself.”

“You need better coffee than the sludge from the breakroom.”

“I keep telling Fury SHIELD needs its own bodega, but he refuses to budget for it.”

“Glad I wasn’t the only one.”

“Sir,” said one of the techs. “Strike team in place.”

“Agent Sitwell has a go,” Phil stated.

The op was taking out a known arms dealer at a meet. Once the target was down, predictions were that it would cause enough of a vacuum for SHIELD to start an undercover operation in order to get the rest of the interested parties and their entire network. The small strike team would have to move fast.

On the screen, Phil watched the heat signatures inside the isolated building. There was a count of six. Four inside and two outside.  Sitwell took two snipers and another agent with him. Satellite imagery displayed the occupants heat signatures as well as the snipers with their weapons trained.

_Budila, Romania_ , Phil thought with a shake of his head. On one hand, it was ideal for its isolation and low population. On the other hand, it was terrible for its isolation. Hammer weapons were getting in the hands of the wrong people and the CEO didn’t care much either way.

He agreed internally with the snipers’ position giving them the best sightlines.

“ _Sir, we’ve got an unknown approaching_.”

“ _Identify, Hawkeye_ ,” Sitwell ordered.

Phil clenched his cup a little tighter. Agent Barton was known for his impeccable eyesight. The figure on the screen readjusted his scope.

“ _Two Humvees. Possibly four tangos in each_.”

The vehicles stopped in front of the building and the exact number that Barton had said poured out.

“Are they armed?” Phil asked Sitwell.

“ _Weapons_?”

“ _We’ve got a fuck-ton of AK’s, I only spotted three, but hell. Fucking Russians sure love them_.”

Phil glanced at one of the techs. “Patch me in to Barton’s comm.”

“Go ahead, sir.”

“Hawkeye, do you have eyes on the target?”

“ _He’s in and out of my scope, sir. Looks like they’re sharing some vodka. I’d say it’s a wedding_.”

“Well, doesn’t look like we’ll get invited to the ball,” Maria told Phil.

“Hawkeye, what are your chances if you take out the target and make it to the rendezvous?”

“ _Fifty/fifty. Left the bow with Sitwell, sir_.”

The regret was in his voice, but Phil didn’t think the weapon would buy him that much time either way.

“How comfortable are they?” Phil asked.

“ _Pretty sure Anton is about to stick his tongue down Ivan’s throat in a few. We’ve got some time, maybe fifteen. Thirty if they keep drinking that shitty vodka_.”

Phil couldn’t hide his grin. Barton never failed to entertain.

“Bird is twenty minutes out,” Maria told Phil. “Mattson wants to find a new perch. He thinks he might be able to take more out if he got closer to Barton’s position.”

“Negative, Maria. We can’t afford for him to get spotted.”

“That’s what I told him.”

Phil walked off to the side with Maria.

“We leave them alone, their ranks have just doubled as do our troubles with this particular group,” Maria stated.

“Take out Anton as planned and the strike team will be lucky to come out alive with the amount of firepower on the ground,” Phil offered.

“Two birds one stone?” Maria offered with a shrug. “Might scatter their ranks for a little while, but in a few weeks we’ll still be dealing with the same situation with a new bride and groom.”

“There’s no acceptable outcome here, Maria,” Phil huffed. “We’d be down three good agents if it goes south and they’ll be on a more prepared footing after the dust settles.”

After she nodded, Phil turned back to the monitors.

“Abort the mission.”

The tech had just relayed the order when the movement inside the building got more erratic.

“Hawkeye, report,” Phil ordered.

“ _Not sure, sir. Looks like a bridezilla was just insulted_.”

The figure hunched down and then raised his scope back at the building.

“ _Sir, if you’re seeing what I’m seeing it looks like the Russian Mob can’t even play with itself well_.”

Bodies were pushing at one another and it was only a matter of time before the situation deteriorated. Maybe this wouldn’t be a match made in heaven after all, Phil thought.

“I see it, Hawkeye. We’re aborting.”

“ _Copy that, sir. Holding a few and making sure they don’t pull out their party favors_.”

“Understood.”

Phil couldn’t tear his eyes away from the monitors. With the amount of activity he was witnessing, gun play was bound to happen. Then it did.

“Move now!” Phil loudly ordered.

He watched the activity pour out into the building near the vehicles. The men were spreading out, firing at one another. Phil watched someone raise their hands and the group stilled. He glanced at the other monitor and watched as Barton began his silent retreat. Phil didn’t dare speak to him.

Fear caught in Phil’s throat when the Russians aimed their weapons across the street. They were already spooked as it was and if they thought for one second they weren’t alone…Phil couldn’t finish the thought.

“Sitwell, where’s Mattson?”

“ _Two hundred yards out. I’ve got Barton’s tracker, but he’s still in the brush. I can’t get any closer_.”

“Maria, the bird?”

“Less than ten minutes,” she answered. “If Barton can go to ground maybe they’ll miss him.”

Phil had to risk the contact.

“Hawkeye, can you get to ground?”

“ _I can hear them behind me, sir_ ,” he answered, breathing hard. “ _Not sure I can get ahead enough to take them out_.”

“They’ll only send more out if they hear gunfire. Your silencer won’t cut it.”

“ _Sir, I’ve got an idea, but you’re going to hate it_.”

Phil watched the monitor and Barton had stopped behind a tree. Four figures were headed his direction.

“Talk to me, Hawkeye.”

“ _I’ll let them get me, sir. You can track me and get me out_.”

“That’s not the scenario I had in mind.”

“ _If I fight back right now, they’ll kill me, sir. I made a promise to come home and you’re going to make sure it happens. Right, sir_?”

“Fuck!” Phil ground out. He took a steadying breath. “Okay, here’s what’s going to happen. When I give the word, you take out your comm and lose it. Drop your weapon and hold your hands up. They’ll take you and if they stay true to form, they’ll hold you and wring out any information they can. It should buy us the time we need to get you out. Can you do it?”

“ _I need that promise, sir. I’ll only do it if I get that from you_.”

“It’s a promise, Barton. I’ll get you home. Hold out for as long as you can. I’m calling Romanov in.”

“ _Thank you, sir_.” The relief in his voice didn’t comfort Phil one bit.

Phil had never felt more helpless in his life as he watched Barton toss the comm when he gave the word. In the background he heard Russian being yelled as his agent got on his knees with his hands in the air. Then came the hit from a rifle butt and Barton was on the ground, unconscious.

 

~*~

 

Clint opened his eyes to a white tiled ceiling. The brightness hurt his eyes and he closed them for a moment. Then he remembered. Pain, hits, kicks and being tossed about a cement floor, then tied up. They’d left him for hours and Clint lost track of time. They were bringing out the car battery when all hell had broken loose.

Then he remembered Natasha’s beautiful face in front of him. He must have passed out. It was the last thing he remembered.

The relief he felt inside was bone deep. He was at SHIELD. Clint’s eyes shot open. He found the TV remote on the bedside table and flipped through the channels until he got to the weather channel.

“Fuck!” It had been nearly four days.

Clint pushed off the covers, swung his legs around and got to his feet. His head swam and his chest hurt. _Fucking ribs_ , Clint remembered. They’d kicked him more than once and he probably had least a couple of cracked ones.

He gave himself a few minutes to get his bearings. Then Clint climbed onto the bed and loosened a tile from the ceiling. Ignoring the pain, he hoisted himself up and secured the tile back in place. It took almost thirty minutes to find the locker room where he’d stashed his stuff before the mission.

After a cursory look, Clint dropped down and hurried to his locker. He grabbed his backpack and found a corner to change in. He stripped off the hospital gown and took a quick note of the bandages around his middle. His chest was a mess of bruises. It took less than two minutes to change into his civilian clothes. Clint spotted a mirror and looked himself over.

“Shit,” he whispered. He had a black eye, a cut lip and a large graze on his forehead.

He picked up the backpack, grabbed his wallet and cellphone. Another check of the time. If he hurried, he could meet the bus and maybe that would be enough for Katy.

On his way out the door, Clint snatched a black baseball cap on top of a locker and pulled it low. He blended in with a crowd keeping to the back so as not to draw attention to himself. Clint kept to the public areas of SHIELD HQ since they were usually the busiest.

In the elevator, he moved to the back and lowered his head as it began the descent. No one seemed to notice him. The only two he ever worried about were Natasha and Melinda May. They could detect his breathing out of a crowd of a hundred. Clint was sure of it.

The doors opened on the first floor and he slipped into a small group keeping out of sight of the cameras. They’d catch sight of him once he hit the lobby, but Clint knew how to blend in and keep his face unseen.

Fortunately, the subway ride back to Bed-Stuey was full and Clint kept with the thickest of the crowds. He stood between a very pregnant Beta and an Omega who was trying to be as small as possible. An Alpha was seated and playing a game on his cellphone. Clint nudged him and gave him scowl until he stood to allow the pregnant Beta a much-needed rest. He appreciated her grateful smile.

Clint left the subway four blocks away and he was at the halfway point when he saw Katy’s bus pass him by. Biting back a curse, Clint took off at a sprint towards his building. He rushed inside and got to the apartment.

As soon as he was inside, he froze.

Katy was on the couch with Natasha. She ran at Clint and he knelt just before she threw herself into his arms, crying and clutching him.

“You were gone! You never came home like you promised! Daddy! Daddy!”

Clint couldn’t hold back the pain inside. He cried as he held her.

“I’m sorry, baby. I’m so sorry.”

“Don’t leave me, Daddy! Please don’t leave!”

“I won’t, sweetheart. God, I love you.”

Clint finally lifted her in his arms and he carried her back to the bedroom where he held her until she was cried out.  

 

~*~

“What do you mean he’s gone?” Phil shot out of his chair at the news being relayed to him by Maria. He was finally going to meet the man who’d became a legend at SHIELD after only a few years.

“I don’t know what to tell you, Phil. The call came less than thirty minutes ago that he rabbited. The room is right across from the nurses’ station.”

Jasper was in the chair and sighed. “Check the vents. He’s been known to hide out there from time to time.”

“Why didn’t I know this?” Phil asked.

“Come on, Phil. You’re head of ops. No one’s going to bother you with an errant agent who avoids medical like the plague,” Maria explained.

“It’s why I keep a med kit fully stocked and then some,” Jasper added. “I told Barton to check in with me and I’ll let him know if he needs to go to medical. Aside from some bumps and bruises, it’s worked.”

“I want to know where he is, Jas.”

“If he’s even in the building,” Maria muttered. “He’s got a place in Bed-Stuey.”

“He wasn’t assigned quarters?” Phil asked.

“Even if we had, he’d never stay in them. It was all part of the contract when he signed on with SHIELD.”

Phil sat and typed in his laptop. It took less than fifteen seconds to bring up Barton’s file. He’d made a promise and he was going to make sure it was a done deal. When he saw the photo, Phil felt like he’d been gut-punched.

It was Clint, his Clint. The one he’d shared so much with. The Omega that haunted his dreams and his fantasies for seven years. He’d spent countless moments reliving their time together. He wanted another chance with his Clint, to show him how good it could be between them.

“Phil?” Maria asked. “Are you alright? You look like you’ve seen a ghost.”

Phil memorized the address and got to his feet. “I have to go.”

He didn’t even shut his laptop as he grabbed his keys and left.

 

~*~

Natasha didn’t say a word as Clint came back and slumped on the couch. Katy wasn’t talking much, but she had finally stopped crying. His daughter was on the bed hugging one of her stuffed elephants.

“Do I want to know how bad it was here while I was gone?” Clint was tired, sore and depressed. He’d broken a promise.

“You broke out of medical,” Natasha told him. “I told her you were hurt and we were going to SHIELD to see you as soon as she got out of school. It seemed to placate her until she saw you.”

“Nat, she can’t go to SHIELD. I’ve told you that.”

“And you can’t keep her in the dark like this, Clint. I told you when you joined SHIELD. At some point she has to know.”

“Fuck.” Clint rubbed his eyes. “I’m in so much goddamn trouble. I’ll get wrote up at the very least. They’re going to want answers I’m not ready to give.”

“Plenty of agents have families. You need to get with the program and talk to them. They have ways of dealing with situations like this.”

“I will tomorrow, Nat. I’m sorry I put all this on you. I thought I could handle it.”

“Donatella Services is still in business. You could reach out to her parent.”

Clint was not having this discussion again. He got to his feet and went to the kitchen. A beer was what the doctor ordered. The knock at the door was not helping his headache.

With a heavy sigh, Clint walked over and opened it. Nothing could prepare him for the man standing in front of him.

“Phil,” Clint breathed. The memories hit him full force and he was still frozen in place.

“Agent Coulson,” Phil corrected. His fingers itched to pull Clint into his arms.

“Coulson?” Then it clicked. His Phil was Agent Phil Coulson, Ops Supervisor who oversaw all major SHIELD operations, who had plans and backup plans, who was known as the iceman and never flinched in any situation. Agent Phil Coulson who’d been in his ear more times than he could count since he’d joined SHIELD.

“Daddy, who is it?”

Clint jerked his head around. Katy was coming over still clutching her elephant. His eyes went straight to Phil’s who stared in disbelief at the little girl, then they widened and comprehension set in.

“Nat, please take Katy to the ice cream shop,” Clint said. Phil was still speechless. Clint hoped he’d stay that way until his daughter was out of the apartment.

Natasha stood with fluid grace and took hold of Katy’s hand.

“Who are you?” Katy asked Phil.

“I’m…” Phil was still stunned.

“Come on, Katy. Let’s get some ice cream.”

When they were gone, Clint waited. He kept quiet as Phil took three steps inside before closing the door.

“You were…” Phil shook his head trying to wrap his brain around the idea. “She’s ours, isn’t she?”

“Yes.” There was no sense hiding the truth. If Clint tried lying his way out, a blood test would soon prove him a liar.

“But you took the shot, didn’t you? Didn’t you?”

“They’re not always 100% effective.”

“Are you sure about this?” Phil was trying really hard.

“Of course, I am,” Clint bit out. “You were the only one!”

Phil walked in a circle around the room in disbelief, shock and surprise. He couldn’t pick one. Then he stopped and stared at Clint.

“You were on a mission, taken and she was here!” Then the anger hit. “How could you leave her alone?”

“I’ve got people, Coulson! Katy is well cared for!”

“Is she the reason you broke out of medical?”

“She stays with a friend in the building if both Nat and I are away. Katy is always taken care of. I’ve been doing it since before she was born.”

“You’ve been doing it?” Phil walked over to Clint and shook his head. “What about me?”

“What about you?” Clint muttered. This was already a disaster of epic proportions. He needed to feel out his options.

“I’m her parent just as much as you are!” Now, Phil was pissed. “You were supposed to contact me. We agreed.”

“If I needed you,” Clint succinctly stated. “I don’t.”

“You had no right to keep her from me, to keep me out of her life.”

“It was my call to make. Not yours.”

“Fuck you, Clint! I had every right just as I do now!”

Clint’s dark eyes grew more dangerous as he stepped close to Phil. “I promise you this. If you or anyone tries to take my daughter, we disappear. SHIELD never found me before we met and I can guarantee they won’t a second time.”

Phil has never let anyone intimidate him in his life. It wasn’t going to happen now.

“Good luck in getting that tracker out of your spine, Barton.” Phil headed for the door. “I’ll be in touch.”

When Phil had slammed the door, Clint went to the couch and collapsed on it. This was so fucking bad.  

 

~*~

 

On the sidewalk, Phil debated on going back inside. There was no way they could have a civil conversation at this point. God, Clint was even more beautiful than he was on their first meeting all those years ago. Clint being so protective, ready to do battle for his daughter was a sight to behold. Phil couldn’t blame him.

He took his cellphone out when it vibrated and read the text from Maria.

_Benny’s. 1hr_.

With a deprecating huff, Phil replied.

_Ready the scotch_.

Two hours later, Phil was nursing his third drink with Maria, Melinda and Jasper. The alcohol did little to improve his mood.

“Let me get this straight,” Maria said who was on her second beer. “Barton, Hawkeye, is the same one you’ve been waxing poetic about for the last seven years. The reason you’ve turned celibacy into an art form. He’s the reason you sent a memo out in a lame attempt to ban those tacky Alpha romance novels from all SHIELD premises.”

“Fifty-two complaints of censorship,” Melinda remembered. “It made the two Omegas on my team cry. They were reading the “Alpha of My Heart” series at the time.”

“Those are good actually,” Jasper added. “Good character arcs.”

“You read them for the sex,” Maria accused. “Everyone does.” The looks she got had her shrugging her shoulders. “It’s good sex.”

“What are you going to do, Phil?” Melinda asked.

“What can I do?” Phil toyed with the glass of scotch. “He hates me.”

“Why?” Jasper said reaching for a pretzel.

Phil couldn’t tell them about Katy until he spoke with Clint again. That had to get settled first. Besides, he wasn’t about to allow any backlash against Clint for keeping him in the dark. His friends would have enough outrage on his behalf to sink several large battleships.

“It’s complicated.” Phil hated the look in Clint’s eyes. They weren’t the teasing, warm ones he remembered. “You should’ve seen him. He stood proud and strong, with his hands on his hips, like he was a hero and I think he glowed or something. It was…”

Phil ignored their stares and motioned for another drink as he finished off the one in front of him.

“He’s fucking besotted!” Jasper declared with a laugh. “Look at him.”

“It’s concerning,” Melinda observed.

Another round of drinks was set on the table.

“Barton’s due a week off,” Maria reminded Phil. “Use that time to woo him. Take him flowers or sing a power ballad in front of his window.”

“My voice doesn’t carry well,” Phil answered. He took a long sip.

“You’d better do something,” Melinda said. “There’s usually a small audience during all of his workouts and sparring sessions and it’s not entirely for his skill and agility.”

“What are you telling me, May?” Phil asked.

“You need to lay claim, Phil. He’s got a following. Have you seen those arms and that ass?” Melinda was nearly grinning, as much as the formidable woman was capable of.

“They are incredible,” Maria agreed.

“You two are senior agents,” Jasper said affronted. “Where’s your professionalism?”

“Get with the program, Jasper,” Maria told him. “Everyone looks at Barton’s ass. I’d bet even Fury has checked him out.”

Phil put his head on the table. “God, please stop. I can’t unsee that now.”

 

~*~

 

How Clint had gotten through dinner and Katy’s story time, he’d never know. Seeing Phil again had brought up all the memories to the forefront and there was no ignoring them this time around. He was still trying to reconcile the easy smile and the laughing eyes of the Alpha that had made their time together so beautiful in every respect with the furious well-suited man before him. Even the voice had been different. That Phil was gentle, teasing and affectionate. He heard none of that in the voice in his ear or the Phil which had confronted him.

After she was asleep, he took to the couch and fiddled with the remote wondering if the TV would distract him enough. Natasha was casually flipping through a magazine.

“Did you know?” He asked. The woman always seemed to know everything.

“I suspected, but there was nothing definitive. If I were still the thief and assassin I used to be in the old days I would have broken into Donatella Services to confirm it.”

“Fucking SHIELD. I let them put that damn tracker in my back. Now, I’m fucking tagged and can’t do a thing.”

“Clint, you’re terrible at going it alone and you love Katy too much to put her through that kind of lifestyle. You and I both know it.”

“Yeah.” The threat had rung harmless in his own ears at the time no matter how pissed he’d been. “What do I do, Nat? He could take Katy away and there’s nothing I can do about it.”

“Coulson is too good of a man, Clint. You need to talk to him, get this worked out.”

“Pretty sure that’s not going to happen. He’s probably on the phone with a very expensive attorney right now.” Clint leaned forward. “I’ve got it. You talk to him for me.”

She dropped the magazine and narrowed her eyes. “Negotiating is not in my skillset.”

“But he’ll listen to you. He respects you, Nat.”

“Of course, he does. You have one problem.”

“What’s that?”

Natasha took out one of her smaller blades and twirled it around in her fingers. The look in her eyes was enough for Clint to get the message. He flopped back.

“Clint, you’re making this worse than it needs to be.”

“That’s how it usually goes. Jesus, Nat. It was like reason took a vacation and we were yelling at each other.”

“Being in love with one another usually does that.”

“I’m not!” Clint hotly denied. “He’s not either!”

Natasha’s melodious laughter had him covering his eyes with his hands.

 

~*~

 

Phil was well into his sixth drink. The evening wasn’t getting any better even though the bar was filling up and the noise had gotten louder.

“Hey,” Jasper said. “Isn’t that Bennett, the junior who’s been pestering for more high-profile assignments?”

The group turned to look. A blond was aiming a look their way.

“Yep,” Maria answered. “He’s trying to make a name for himself. He wanted on the Leningrad op with May.”

“He’s coming this way,” May announced.

When the young junior agent arrived, he was forcing a smile. “Hi, Agent May, Agent Hill, Agent Sitwell and Agent Coulson.” No one spoke. He shifted nervously before speaking again. “It’s a real honor working with you all and I wondered if you’d allow me to buy the next round.”

Phil felt sorry for him. “That’s sweet.”

“Seriously?” Maria asked of no one in particular and then aimed her sharp eyes at him. “The next time you approach any senior agent for a classified op, I’ll have your balls extracted, make bells out of them and have them hung around your neck so everyone will hear you coming! Get the hell out of here and don’t come near me until you’ve been properly potty trained.”

Bennet sulked and turned around to leave.

“Chin up, soldier,” May ordered.

He seemed to listen and his walk was more confident.

“Jesus, woman,” Jasper declared. “My balls are shaking, literally.”

“It was very brave,” Phil said. He took another drink and when he waved for the waitress, May yanked his arm down. “The courage it takes…”

“Shut up, Phil,” Maria groused. “I respect bravery. That was not it.”

Phil sighed. “We’re evil. That’s all there is to it.”

“What’s he on about?” Maria asked May.

“Barton. This could be a problem.”

“We are evil people and we deserve to be destroyed. The bad guys are evil, too.” Phil’s eyes widened a bit. “The bad guys want to destroy us. Does that mean they’re really good?”

No one spoke for a moment. Then Maria threw her hands up in the air. “I can’t even…! Will someone take him home before I stick a fork in my eye?”

 

~*~

 

Clint was in bed, but sleep wasn’t coming. The events kept playing over and over in his head along with flashes of his time with Phil.

When his phone rang, he fumbled for it and answered.

“Yeah…wait…. what? No, I….” He sighed. “Okay, I will.”

Clint hung up and pulled a pillow over his face.

“Fuck! I broke Phil Coulson!”

 

~*~

 

Phil was still swearing a week later he’d never get that drunk again. The hangover had lasted the entire day along with the stress and anxiety over Clint. Now, here he sat at his desk going over the documents a third time. Clint was due in his office any moment and he needed this conversation to go far better than the heated one they’d already had.

He couldn’t believe that he hadn’t connected Agent Barton aka Hawkeye to the Clint he’d taken to bed. He still remembered feeding him the fruit as they lay naked together. The mischievous look in Clint’s eyes had captivated Phil. Their passionate encounters over those three days were the most fulfilling in his life and he’d wanted to do it all over again.

But Phil was overseeing large scale operations and he never delved into any agents file unless it was an absolute necessity. Keeping his distance from field agents he might send to their deaths was an unfortunate absolute.

It was the day after his night wallowing in expensive scotch when Phil read Clint’s file. He had torn his eyes away from the overtly serious photograph that he got the full picture. Clint Barton, orphaned at a young age, had become a prodigy with a bow in a circus. He’d been honest during his intake about his brother, Barney, who’d sunk into a criminal life while Clint’s went in another direction.

As an assassin, he’d fallen in with Natasha Romanov aka Black Widow, and the two had swept through the criminal underworld for money. They accepted contracts from the worst, took out their competitors and on occasion did an end runaround to remove those who’d hired them in the first place. It was a dangerous business, but they were quite the ruthless team.

Hawkeye had fallen off the radar from what Phil could tell. He’d heard Maria and Fury talk about both him and Black Widow and would dream up the ops the duo would be sent on as if they’d won the lottery. Phil could only assume Clint was busy taking care of his daughter. It made sense that SHIELD was a viable option for him. He and Natasha had joined SHIELD together.

The contract Clint had signed wasn’t a surprise. He would accept short-term missions only. Nothing long term and he absolutely refused honeypots altogether. Clint’s missions allowed for him to be out for no more than three days. Although some of that would have to change.

The only hard regs against fraternization that existed were between the ranks unless it was filed the agents involved were in separate departments. SHIELD had zero tolerance of powerplay issues that involved abusing their position no matter the gender. Alphas, Betas and Omegas had equal rights across the board and the harassment seminar was a yearly requirement. SHIELD still had the rare Alpha on occasion who thought they could throw their pheromones around. Maria, an Omega herself, took great pleasure in taking down an overbearing Alpha.  

The opening of the door brought him back to the present and seeing Clint again still took his breath away. Phil stood as the man stopped in the middle of the room.

“Would you close the door? We have a lot to discuss.”

“Yes, sir.” The tone was hard and unforgiving.

Phil swept the documents together and went to the leather sofa against the wall. It was important they be on equal footing and Phil wondered if this should have been done elsewhere. He was already second-guessing himself.

“Please, have a seat,” Phil said motioning towards the sofa. He sat making sure Clint wouldn’t feel crowded by him and waited.

“I’ve got something to say first,” Clint began. “I want it made clear.”

“Go ahead.”

“We got off badly and I know neither of us expected any of this. I’m not going to run with Katy. But I will fight you, Coulson. You’ll never be able to say I’ve been a bad parent, but I promise I’ll fight you every step of the way.”

Phil nodded. “You’re right. We both lost our heads. I have no intention of taking her. You have no reason to believe me, but I promise you that it will not happen.”

“Okay,” Clint said with a sharp nod. He came over and finally sat down on the sofa a few feet from Phil. “I want to do what’s best for Katy and we both might not see eye-to-eye on that.”

“I’ve been doing some research and consulting in hopes to avoid a repeat of your last mission regarding Katy and how best we go from here. There are a…” Phil stopped and took a deep breath. “I have to ask something first. Does she know…about me?”

“No,” Clint admitted. “I’ve been racking my brain about that, too. I don’t want to just throw it all on her at once, but if I take it slow…it’ll be more like procrastination. It’s not good for anyone.”

“I agree.” Phil went to his desk and shuffled through a side draw then went to Clint. He held out a card for him. “SHIELD has specialists that handle family crises like what you and Katy suffered. There is also a support group as well. I think it might help.”

The faint surprise on Clint’s face wasn’t unexpected. He took the card and Phil resumed his seat.

“Thank you, sir.”

“I think you should call me Phil when we are discussing Katy and where we find ourselves. Would you be okay with that?”

“Yeah, I think so, too.”

This was going better than Phil expected. He still had doubts about the rest, but it was important he lay all his cards on the table.

“As I was saying beforehand, there are a few options I’d like for us to explore. You’ve said you have people you trust to help with Katy?”

“Natasha and a few people in my building. Samora and Mrs. Beatrice help take care of her when I’m gone. It’s why I’ve asked for short-term missions.”

“That’s good. Does Katy understand what you do and the risks?”

“A little. After I came back this last time…” Clint stopped and rubbed his eyes. “I fucked up and broke a promise. She’s still angry.”

“With some time and help, Clint, I think she’ll come through it just fine. Kids can be resilient with the right amount of love.”

“I know.”

Phil turned his attention back to the documents at hand.

“Since you didn’t name a parent on the birth certificate other than yourself, that’s something I would like to have done. Doing so involves DNA testing and affidavits that will need drawn up and presented to the county clerk.”

“Yeah,” Clint agreed. “I figured that’d have to be our first step.”

“We also need to file the necessary documents with SHIELD, notify her school and…” Phil glanced at Clint. “What’s her full name and birth date?”

“Katherine Elizabeth Barton,” Clint answered. “She was born June 8th.”

“So, she’ll be eight in six months,” Phil said more to himself than to Clint. “Do you have birthday parties?”

“Yeah,” Clint shyly smiled. “Last year it was bowling and pizza.”

Phil averted his eyes trying to hold back the sudden hurt he felt at missing Katy’s birthday.

“All of this will take at least a couple of months to complete and if you still want to remain with SHIELD after all of this, we can keep you out of the field during that time. I should warn you that it could take as long as six months depending on the court backlog.”

“Is this going to hurt my shot at promotion?”

“Delay it more likely. Do you want to remain with SHIELD?”

“I do. Besides, there’s not much in the way of legit work for a guy who’s only talent is a good aim.”

Phil wanted to tell Clint he was far more than that. The mission reports would bear that out in addition to the two commendations he’d already gotten.

“We can cut through all of this far more quickly with an option I’m not confident you’d be amenable to.”

“What’s that?”

“Clint, one of the things I’d insist on is a shared custody arrangement.” Phil watched Clint stiffen and his fist clench once the words were out of his mouth. “The idea left a bad taste in my mouth. I don’t want us to be the kind of parents who would fight over their child like a piece of furniture. It’s why I’m more open to another idea and I’m hoping you’ll give it some time to think about.”

“Jesus, Phil, just say it. I’ve never known you to hedge on anything since I’ve known you.”

“Marriage.”

Clint did a double take and Phil waited for him to run out of his office. When he didn’t, Phil tried to explain.

“With a marriage license, we can cut through the entire mess in a few weeks. I would have the same rights to Katy and it would ensure we’re both on equal footing if we do wind up in a courtroom. In addition, it’s another layer of stability for Katy.”

“I…wow…fuck.” Clint leaned forward taking slow deep breaths.

“Clint, this line of work has a certain amount of risk and while it may be self-serving as you see it, should you not return from a mission I believe it would be in Katy’s best interest to be with her surviving parent. If we don’t marry and something happens to you before the documentation filters through the system, the state could step in.”

“Just give me a minute, please.”

“Don’t make this decision now. You need some time.”

“I’m not sure I could explain your sudden presence, Phil.”

“Of course not. I would stay at my own apartment regardless. I never expected for us to live together.”

“Still, marriage. That’s fucking huge.”

“I know. It’s just an option I want you to consider.”

“Okay, yes. Let’s do it.”

_What…?Wait…What?_ It was Phil’s turn to do a double take.

“You’re obviously not thinking this through.”

“Surprisingly, Phil, I am. I’m all for what’s best for Katy and if I’m going to stay here at SHIELD, this is the right decision. I’ve got you and everyone else here watching my back and if shit goes to hell, you’d give your life for Katy. I know that much about you. Trust me on that.”

“What you’re not considering is you might fall in love with someone and marry in the future. I’ve devoted my life to SHIELD and a life partner, a family has never been an option as far as I was concerned. You, on the other hand…”

“Phil, it’s not going to happen.” Clint was digging at some invisible dirt in a fingernail.

“Are you sure about this?” Phil couldn’t believe the conversation had gone in this direction.

“Positive, but I’m not sharing my vast wealth with you.”

Phil huffed a laugh. “It’s not your money I’m after.”

“Should be a helluva honeymoon,” Clint joked.  

Both men stilled for a moment as the innuendo hung in the air. The jumped from the sofa at the same time.

“I’ll get in touch with a justice of the peace,” Phil quickly stated.

“Good idea. I’m taking another week off anyway so it should be easy to set the date.”

“Of course. I’ll be in touch.”

“Good.”

“Yes.”

“Okay.”

“Okay.”

Phil’s eyes couldn’t meet Clint’s and he breathed a sigh of relief when Clint hurried out of his office.

 

~*~

 

When Clint told Natasha the news, she reacted far differently than he expected. She gave him a kiss on the cheek, went to the tote bag she usually carried when she stayed the night and threw a book that he caught with one hand.

It was a romance novel. “My Alpha, My Bride”. The back cover detailed an arranged marriage of convenience. Then Natasha broke down in peels of laughter that was not comforting in any way at all.

If Clint didn’t like his head attached to his body, he would have thrown it back at her. Later, he stuck the book in his dresser with zero intention of reading it at all. No way whatsoever. Period. End of story. (You get the idea)

It was on a Saturday that Clint took Katy to the zoo. They sat on a bench near the elephants where she had named them. He was careful in how he’d explained everything. She was already getting a beginning education on the dynamics of Alpha/Beta/Omega dynamics at school. There were questions regarding her other parent which Clint had been surprised to learn his daughter had already been contemplating.

It got a little easier as he told her about Phil and how good of a person he was. She had some trepidation at first and then more questions if he’d leave, too. Clint could only hug her and talk about the people who loved her so much. By the time they were leaving, Katy was growing more curious about Phil and even a bit of excitement when she’d finally meet him.  

The wedding took place four days later. Phil had arranged a justice of the peace in a conference room with Natasha and Melinda serving as witnesses. The only thing that had gotten exchanged were chaste pecks on the cheeks.

Phil arrived at the apartment the following day. It was decided to keep quiet about their marriage for the time being. The paperwork was still being put together to finalize everything.

Katy, hugging her purple elephant, walked over to Phil who stood next to Clint. He could read the nervousness in the normally stoic man.

“I’m Katherine Elizabeth Barton,” She stated. “This is Frederick.” Katy held up the stuffed animal.

Clint couldn’t hold back the smirk as Phil shook one of Frederick’s legs.

“It’s nice to meet you, Frederick. My name is Phil.” Phil knelt in front of Katy. “I’m glad we finally got the proper introductions. Would you like me to call you Katherine?”

Katy grinned. “Daddy sometimes calls me Katy-Kat. What name do you like best?”

“We should stick with what’s best,” Phil answered smiling. “I like Katy.”

“Me, too. Want to see my room?”

“I’d love to.”

Clint watched them go as Katy talked about her various stuffed elephants. He turned to the kitchen and started on dinner.

That’s how it went for the next few weeks. Phil came over, spent time with Katy and they had dinner together. Clint was called away for a mission and Phil asked to spend the night on the couch while he was gone. He was quick to agree, but during his downtime on the mission, he’d thought about Katy, but then he’d imagine Phil sleeping in the living room which led to even more dangerous thoughts which included kissing and quiet sex so as not to wake their daughter. Clint refused to jerk off to the image which he wound up doing anyway before flying back.

When he returned two days later, all Katy talked about was Phil seeing her off to school, the video game she’d introduced to him and how he was almost as good as she was. Clint sulked for a minute remembering how terrible he was when he’d tried his hand. Then he learned that Phil Coulson was an avid Captain America fan, something he had no clue about. He chastised himself for being resentful of not knowing that irrelevant fact.  

The fact was that Phil and Katy were developing their own relationship outside of him. His daughter was testing out a variety of names for Phil. He was glad “Daddy” was out of the question. That was his alone. But then there was “Dad”, “Father”, “Poppa”, and others Phil had taught her outside of the English language.

Tonight, after Katy’s bath, Clint watched Phil from the kitchen brushing her hair. That had always been his job, but she had gone to Phil instead. Clint shook his head as he put the last of the food away. At least he got to do Katy’s hair in the morning which included a frustrating discussion about makeup. Her friend from school was talking about it all through recess.

After Clint tidied the living room, he went to Katy’s door and peeked into her room. Phil was stretched on the bed with her at his side reading one of her favorite stories. His soft voice had her rapt attention. Clint smiled at the scene wishing it happened more often. There were still several pages to get through and Clint left them alone.

Thirty minutes later, Phil came out of the bedroom and sat in the chair across from Clint.

“She asleep?” Clint asked.

“She nodded off halfway through the last page. I finished it just to be sure.” Phil softly smiled and sighed. “She’s such an amazing little girl, Clint. I love her more every day it seems.”

“Yeah, she’s good like that.”

“I just don’t understand.” Phil leaned forward resting his elbows on his knees.

“What?”

“Why didn’t you tell me? Please explain to me why you felt you couldn’t come to me.”

Clint got up and headed for the kitchen. “I’m not talking about this.”

Phil followed. “I don’t want to keep being angry at you for keeping me out of her life. It’s not good for anyone.”

“I made the choice and you’ve got to accept it, Phil.” Clint knew he was right and took a beer from the fridge to keep some distance.

“No, I don’t,” Phil pressed. “She is going to grow up and I promise, Clint, she’s going to want to know why I wasn’t there. How long can you keep the truth from her?”

“That’s my business,” Clint ground out. He wasn’t going to raise his voice and wake Katy.

“Not anymore,” Phil fired back. “You kept the truth from her about your job and look how well that worked out. She’s still afraid even now.”

Clint took a long pull from the bottle. Every word Phil was saying was right. He knew it in his gut, but it just wasn’t a simple thing for him. He watched Phil walk to the coat rack and grab his jacket off the hook.

“Until you talk to me and we get this out in the open, it’s always going to stay between us, Clint. None of us will be able to move forward otherwise and we can’t do this to Katy. You and I both know that.”

Phil was gone out the door and Clint stood in the kitchen for a long time after he finished his beer.

 

~*~

 

It was nearly two weeks later that Nick Fury called his most trusted agents, outside of Phil and Clint to his office.

Maria Hill, Melinda May, Jasper Sitwell and Natasha Romanov all stood in front of his desk as he paced. Then he stopped and leveled an eye at each of them.

“One of the reasons I’m fucking proud of SHIELD is our ratio. It’s damn near evenly spread between Alphas, Betas and Omegas. Not like those assholes over at the CIA and every other fucking alphabet with 85% Alphas running like damn packs through their agencies. Here at SHIELD, we’ve got a nice comfortable ratio that I’m damn well fucking proud of. Makes the working dynamics nice, comfortable even when ops go to hell in a handbasket.”

Nick ran his gaze over each of his agents.

“That sweet balance is on the verge of getting turned upside down which makes me a very angry Beta.” It was well known that Fury liked to throw around his status to unsettle the new hires and potential Alphas who thought they could run roughshod over people. “Now, I personally took the time to recruit a well-qualified Alpha to our esteemed organization. He’s a fucking decathlon athlete with an impressive military record. I get that the man’s overeager and has an ego the size of my dick and that’s a plus in my book.”

No one had a clue what Nick Fury was going on about.

“Do any of you want to know where he is right now?”

“Do we, sir?” Maria asked.

“Do we, sir,” Nick repeated. “Agent Bennett is in psych because not only is he worried about his fucking balls, don’t ask me why, but also because the agents not in this meeting are also responsible for him being on the verge of checking out of our fine organization.”

Fury took another long appraisal before continuing.

“Agent Coulson has been a fucking terror to anyone who has the bad fortune who crosses his path. He tore into Bennett as if the man had given SHIELD secrets to every known terrorist cell on the planet. I caught him berating the poor soul over his sidearm not properly hanging in its holster no matter that the safety was on and it was strapped in. Agent Coulson has been using the regs in place of his sour-ass mood for over a fucking week.”

Then Nick folded his arms.

“In most situations, I’d just sit his ass down, give him his come-to-Jesus speech and then get the man drunk, laid or whatever the hell it would take to get him back on course to being the excellent agent he’s always been.”

“Sir?” Jasper asked.

Nick ignored him.

“But what has turned into a direct threat to our very existence is the addition of Agent Barton to the equation. The man has taken to the vents like a duck to fucking water. He’s gone through every one of them that he could find. Trust me. I’ve tracked him as if I don’t already have enough shit on my plate. After I sent Bennett to get himself right with psych, Barton happened to be nearby and neglected to read the latest maintenance report stating that the psych department was due to be relocated due to a leak issue which added to instability in the vents.”

“He didn’t,” Natasha muttered.

“Spectacularly,” Nick replied. “On Dr. Ortiz’s desk while she was counseling Agent Bennett.”

Fury let the information soak in.

“I’ve got juniors running for cover from Coulson and psych up in arms because their department head is threating to quit. Between Coulson and Barton, SHIELD may not survive because they can’t get their shit together.”

“I don’t think writing them up for their behavior will do much to change it, sir,” Melinda said.

“Keep it off the record, but fix it.” Nick put his hands on his desk and leaned towards the group. “Fix this shit because SHIELD may not survive another week. Dismissed.”

The group filed out of the room and Natasha stopped Maria just outside the door.

“Benny’s at eight. I might have a solution to our mutual problem.”

Maria nodded.

 

~*~

 

Natasha ordered a vodka with a lemon twist and carried the drink across the bar to the table where Maria, Melinda and Jasper sat.

“Ladies,” Natasha said. She aimed a sharp eye at Jasper. “Gentleman.”

“Fuck me,” Jasper breathed. “I’m sitting with the three most dangerous women in the world. My balls are hiding. Seriously.”

When Natasha’s smiled sharpened, Jasper ordered another drink.

“How’s Barton?” Melinda asked.

“Mopey, playing with his arrows, but not shooting them, and baking a lot. I’ve gained three pounds which I’m going to lose when I beat his ass into the mats,” Natasha told her. “Coulson?”

“In his office when he’s not in the sit room,” Maria said. “Everyone is afraid they’ll get disappeared if he looks at them. I’ve never seen him like this.”

“He’s cleaned the breakroom of all the coffee,” Jasper told them. “If he ever needs a transfusion he’ll die because there’s no French roasted sludge to put in his veins.”

“You said you had a plan?” Maria asked.

Natasha sipped her drink. “I’m a big believer in the simplicity of subterfuge and manipulation. Between the four of us and knowing these two as well as we do, it’s only a matter of arranging a scenario that will give us a predictable and acceptable outcome.”

“You’re talking about setting them up,” Melinda said.

“Such an ugly term, but yes,” Natasha agreed. “It will take some intel and a slight abuse of our positions at SHIELD.”

“I’m in,” Maria said. Everyone looked at her. “You’ve met me, right? Get the job done no matter what it takes.”

“Agreed,” Melinda stated. “I like scaring juniors with my death glare.”

Everyone turned to Jasper.

“Only because you three scare the shit out of me and I’m liable to get disappeared myself otherwise.”

“Good enough,” Natasha said. “I’ve got the mission goal and how to proceed. It’ll be up to the three of you to do the rest.”

 

~*~

 

Clint couldn’t believe what Natasha was telling him.

“No way.”

“I have it on good authority that Donatella Services was compromised and the infiltrator is planning to plant bugs at the penthouse in hopes of picking up intel.”

“Report it,” Clint told her. “SHIELD will handle it.”

“I’m bringing this to your attention for the sole reason that if the penthouse was used for certain heat-related events, then who is to say it won’t happen again.”

With a heavy sigh, Clint got to his feet.

“I could go,” Natasha offered.

“No, I’ll go. Katy’s already asleep anyway.” Clint reached for his jacket and then looked at Natasha. “You’re not punking me, are you?”

He got a raised eyebrow in response. “Right.”

 

~*~

 

Clint got to the penthouse and was surprised how easy he was able to slip inside unseen. When he stepped inside, he was assailed by the tender moments he’d shared with Phil. The décor had changed a little, but for the most it part remained the same. Ignoring those same old memories which seemed to taunt him at every drop of a hat these days, Clint figured starting in the bedrooms upstairs would be the place to start.

He’d been at it for almost twenty minutes when he heard the noise. It wasn’t loud, but footsteps to be sure. Clint stepped back from the painting he’d been inspecting, took his weapon from its holster and started out the door. When he got at the top of the stairs with his gun aimed, he stopped in his tracks.

Phil had his own trained on him.

“Phil, what the hell are you doing here?” Clint asked.

“I want to know the same thing.”

There was a loud snap at the door and then thick metal shades began covering the large floor-to-ceiling windows.

“What the hell…” Clint couldn’t believe his eyes. He looked at Phil who was holstering his gun and taking a seat on the large sectional. No one spoke until the penthouse was sealed.

“Phil? What the fuck just happened?”

“The penthouse is on lockdown,” Phil answered. “We’re not going anywhere unless a strike team comes in on orders from SHIELD or we’re allowed to leave in 24 hours when the system resets.”

“Call somebody,” Clint ordered. “Tell them to let us out of here.”

“I would, but the people I thought were my friends had a hand in our predicament. They’re not going to do a thing for the foreseeable future.”

_Natasha_ , Clint brutally thought. “Don’t tell me. The penthouse was compromised due to an infiltration at Donatella Services.”

“Yep, that about sums it up.”

“And you thought discretion was the better part of valor and all.”

“I’m a nice guy like that,” Phil retorted.

Clint took his time going down the stairs and sat on the opposite end of the sectional from Phil. They had barely spoken since their argument and when they did it was always about Katy. It couldn’t keep going like this.  

“Your friends didn’t hatch this little plot on their own,” Clint told him. “Nat was in on it, too.”

“I have no doubt Fury gave the initial push even though this probably wasn’t what he had in mind. He usually frowns on misuse of SHIELD resources.”

“Not as much as you think since we…” Clint didn’t finish the sentence. The look in Phil’s eyes told him enough. “I guess my accident in psych probably set this in motion. I thought Bennett was going to fucking cry because I scared the shit out of him. Not to mention Ortiz. If I ever need therapy, remind me to avoid her at all costs.”

“Huh.”

“What?”

“I gave Bennett a pretty thorough dressing down in the corridor a few days ago,” Phil said. “He was hiding his crotch when Fury and Maria happened to walk up.”

“Jesus, Phil, do you think between the two of us we actually broke an agent on accident?”

“Not entirely. Melinda told me he asked for reassignment and Fury gave him his pick.”

“Where to?”

“D.C.”

Then Clint laughed. “He’ll make a damn good agent once he recovers. D.C. is a damn sight better for upward mobility.”

The conversation lulled into silence for a few minutes until Phil spoke.

“Clint, it’s obvious we can’t continue like we have been. I can request reassignment to Boston or someplace else that’s not too far away.”

“Phil, no, none of this is your fault. It’s mine. I should move, not you.”

“You can’t upend your life like that. Besides, you and Katy have a good life here. I won’t allow it.”

“And you relocating is what…a better option? It’s not as far as I’m concerned. This is your home, too.”

Clint rubbed the back of his neck and gazed at Phil. They were married now and that meant something. Clint was all for fighting for Katy and it was time to deal with this, but he hadn’t the first clue on how to go about it. So, he did the thing he’d been wanting to do forever it seemed like.

He got to his feet and kept his eyes on Phil.

“I’m in love with you. I think I have been since that first night we spent together. Denial was pretty easy after that the more time passed when I didn’t see you. Didn’t matter how many times I dreamed about us together. These past weeks just told me what I already felt about you.”

Then Clint thought he blew it the longer Phil sat unmoving and silent. It was like a brush of a sudden breeze. Phil was seated and the next he was pulling Clint into his arms, kissing him like he’d known him forever and reacquainting him with the heady Alpha scent he’d almost forgotten.

The kiss ended, but Phil was pulling him close until their foreheads rested together.

“God, Clint. I love you so damn much. The times I’ve wanted another chance with you, to show how good we are together. Now, we’ve got this beautiful daughter. I want a life with you and her so much.”

Their lips met and Clint was pushing Phil backwards and they stopped at the banister.

“Bed,” Phil breathed. He felt Clint’s hesitation. “What is it?”

“For the record, I haven’t…”

“Not with anyone since we…?”

Clint chuckled and leaned into Phil. “You shouldn’t be surprised that you ruined everyone else for me.”

“Clint,” Phil whispered.

It took several minutes of kissing and undressing as they headed up the stairs. Clothes were thrown and scattered along the way. By the time they reached the bedroom, Clint was pulling Phil onto the bed not caring why the bedding had already been folded down for them.

Their lips broke apart and Clint looked down into Phil’s eyes.

“Can I be inside you like you were with me?” Clint asked. “I’ve thought of how it would feel, fucking you, with you under me.”

“Yes,” Phil breathed. He pulled Clint’s mouth to his.

Clint ground his hips into Phil’s, feeling their cocks slotted together, pre-come easing the way.

“Jesus, I’m not going to hold out much longer,” Clint said in a low voice. “You’re so fucking good.”

“Maybe there’s stuff in the nightstand,” Phil said.

Not wanting to get up, Clint stretched his arm over towards it only to see a brand new tube lube sitting next to the lamp. He snatched it and held it up for Phil to see.

“Do I want to know who planted this?” Clint couldn’t hide his smirk.

“No,” Phil laughed.

“Let’s not disappoint,” Clint said mischievously.

He got the cap off and coated his fingers all the while Phil watched him with a heated gaze.

“Have you been watching porn again?” Phil asked. He skirted his hands along Clint’s body until they rested on the ass he’d sorely missed.

“With a seven-year-old in the house?” Clint leaned in and gave Phil a deep kiss. He dropped his hand between their bodies and pushed a finger inside of Phil, careful and a bit uncertain.

“More,” Phil breathed into Clint’s mouth. He widened his legs for more access.

Clint added another finger and Phil’s hips hitched against his. Fascinated by the response, Clint explored more as he pushed further inside.

“Fuck, Clint! Oh, fuck, that’s so good.”

The third finger nearly unseated Clint’s place as Phil thrashed about wanting more. Clint’s cock was hard and leaking. Seeing Phil coming apart beneath him was nearly his undoing.

“Shit, Phil,” Clint said in awe. “Guess I thought the only good sex was during heats. You’re proving me wrong already.”

“Get inside me and I’ll show you.”

More than ready for the challenge, Clint readjusted himself and began the slow push into Phil’s body.

“Okay?” Clint asked

“Please.” Phil was clutching Clint’s shoulders and he brought his leg up higher.

When Clint was fully inside, he closed his eyes and relished the tight heat wrapped around his dick. “God, you feel so good, Phil.”

“Mmm, yes.” Phil moved a little and Clint’s low groan felt like a warm rain along his skin.

“I’m gonna move now, but not sure how long I’ll hold out. No control when it comes to you, Phil.”

Clint didn’t wait for an answer and began the slow thrust of his hips, relishing the heated friction along his cock, feeling the hands holding onto him and Phil’s hot breath along his skin. He had to feel Phil more and he reached between their bodies and grabbed onto the needy cock. Clint fisted it as their need grew more like a crescendo of a hot storm encircling them.

“Oh, god, I’m coming,” Phil hollered. He moved his hips frantically to reach his climax.

Once Clint felt that hot liquid cover his hand, he exploded and his kept pumping into Phil until there was nothing left. After wiping his hand on the sheet which was almost to the floor, he collapsed on top of Phil.

“Fuck me, that was amazing. If we weren’t all fucked out, I’d want to do it again.”

“Yeah,” Phil said trying to catch his breath.

Clint finally rolled off of Phil and rested on the pillow next to him.

“I accept that my experience is pretty fucking limited and don’t take this any other way but heartfelt. But, shit, Phil, that was the best sex of my life.” Clint thought for a minute. “I mean the first time with you was nothing short of fucktastic, too.”

Phil shut Clint up with a kiss.

Thirty minutes later, with a platter filled with fruit and crackers, along with two bottles of water, Clint and Phil were famished afterwards.

“We should live together. We’re married and we did the whole declaring our love thing.” Clint glanced at Phil to see what he’d say. “Unless you think that’s rushing it.”

“Katy’s asked why we’re not living together. I told her I have a lot of furniture.”

“She’s been making a few boulder size hints to me, too. That kid is too smart sometimes.”

Phil sighed and leaned back against the pillow. “Clint, I would like nothing more than for us to be together as a family, but I’m not sure if it’s the right thing to do. You and I have issues we need to work through.”

Clint dropped the sliced apple he was holding. “I know.”

“Is it me? Where you afraid I’d take Katy away? Or ask for an abortion or something?”

“No.” Clint shook his head. He didn’t want this conversation, but there was no avoiding it if they were going to be together. “It was never you, Phil.”

“Tell me.”

“When I was a kid, my old man was a traditional Alpha. He came from a time when Alpha’s picked their mates, not mutually or any other fashion. It pissed him off because he said he never wanted a mate. He had his own asshole of an old man to please to hear Momma tell it. Anyway, she had me and my brother. Shit got worse after that. He drank, she tried to be the Omega he wanted and when she wasn’t, he beat the hell out of her.”

“Jesus, Clint.” Phil took hold of his hand as he talked.

“He made a go at me and Barney both, but most of it was aimed at her. I remember one time he laughed at her while she went through a heat. Didn’t do a fucking thing to help her. I swear, Phil, if I’d been able, I think I would’ve killed him myself. He drove him and Momma into a tree at sixty miles an hour. I think she knew it. She made him leave me and Barney at home.”

“Clint, I hope you don’t think I would…”

“God, no, Phil. I know better, but it fucks with your head, you know. By the time I was out on my own, I knew I had to have something better than what I’d seen. I needed the money when I signed up at Donatella. That time during my heat with you and me was fucking incredible. It scared me, too. I didn’t want to believe it was real. It took four pregnancy tests for me to believe I was even pregnant.”

Clint took a long drink from the water before continuing.

“I didn’t tell you because I was scared shitless. My heart said you’d never be like the old man. My head…” Clint rubbed his eyes for a moment. “I had enough money to buy the building and set about making sure I could take care of Katy on my own before telling you. Then time just got away from me and the next thing I know, you’re standing in my doorway. I never put you and Agent Phil Coulson together.”

“I didn’t see it either,” Phil said. He pulled on Clint who shifted over and rested his head on Phil’s shoulder.

“Would you move in with us?” Clint asked. “It’s a really nice apartment. Got three bedrooms even. We could turn one into an office or something.”

“Clint…” Phil began.

“You know my shit, Phil. I love you and Katy loves you.”

“You think one conversation fixes things?”

“It’s a start.” Clint ran a finger from Phil’s breastbone down to near his cock. “Probably a blow job every night if that helps.”

Phil laughed and threw himself on top of Clint.

“Hey!”

 

~*~

 

The new normal was Phil being home every night by seven if he could help it, earlier if Clint went out on a mission. When both were home, Clint fixed dinner, Phil helped Katy with her homework. The routine was growing more comfortable with each passing day despite the occasional life-changing event such as a missing favorite hair bow or begging for lipstick.

Clint loved that Phil liked breakfast for dinner and Halloween was his favorite holiday. Phil discovered Clint’s terrible with laundry. Katy had the wardrobe to prove it. He also took sadistic pleasure in how ticklish the grown man was and let their daughter in on the secret. Clint was helpless as a kitten on the floor as both Phil and Katy went for his feet.

Tonight, though, Phil had Katy sitting in his lap where they worked at improving their scores on a new video game. Clint refused to participate since he completely sucked at it.

“I can’t believe the world’s greatest marksman is so terrible at this.”

“Yeah, Daddy,” Katy agreed. “It’s even got bows and arrows.”

“I see no point in proving myself.” Clint wasn’t going to admit to a thing.

Phil made chicken noises and Katy giggled as Clint grabbed the trash. He smiled a little as he took the elevator down. He went to the alley and tossed the bag into the garbage bin. Clint picked up some trash that hadn’t quite made it. He glanced over when he saw movement not far down the alley.

Clint took a few steps and took sight of the orange mangy looking dog looking at him curiously. The dog seemed to find him unworthy and walked away. Shaking his head, Clint went back upstairs.

He’d just sat next to Phil and Katy with a slice of pizza from the box on the coffee table when they heard a noise at the door.

Clint glanced at Phil who just shrugged his shoulders. He got up and opened the door. The dog walked inside and waited.

“A doggy!” Katy squealed. She ran over and hugged the dirty mutt who licked her face.

“Now, wait a minute,” Clint declared. He pulled the animal away. “We don’t know where he’s been.”

“Daddy, he’s home. Can’t you tell?”

Clint gave a “will you help me” look.

“He found us,” Phil said.

The dog sniffed the air and jerked from Clint’s hold. When he saw it chowing down on his food, his shoulders dropped.

“Awe, my pizza!”

“You’ve got two choices, Clint,” Phil said. “Only two.”

“Yeah, what’s that.” The dog was already on a second slice.

“Either you bath him and I get the dog food or vice versa.”

“We’re naming him Arrow!” Katy proudly announced.

“That’s the worst name ever,” Clint told her. He could see his protestations were getting nowhere. “Fine. I’ll get the dog food.”

Phil took hold of the dog and gave him a scratch behind the ears. “Get the good stuff. We’re not having a repeat of the macaroni discussion.”

“One time, Phil. It’s not like I make a habit of it.”

“You gave Mrs. Beatrice ten dollars for two-year-old macaroni.”

Clint slipped on his jacket. “I’m not going to Manhattan for dog food, you know. If I spend more than thirty bucks, that dog…”

“Arrow,” Katy said with a smile.

“Arrow is getting a job.”

“Love you,” Phil said.

“Love you, too.” Clint smiled on the way to the door.

Yeah, this was his life and he loved it.

 

END


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